The Viceroy butterfly closely resembles the Monarch, with orange-brown wings and bold black veins. However, it can be distinguished by a horizontal black line across its hind wings. Viceroys are found throughout much of North America.

 

“Viceroy Butterfly” by Benny Mazur, licensed under (CC BY 2.0)

 

Viceroy Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Limenitidinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/2 – 3 3/8 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Moist open or shrubby areas such as lake and swamp edges, willow thickets, valley bottoms, wet meadows, and roadsides

 

🪴Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides)

• Poplars (Populus spp.)

• Willows (Salix spp.)

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Viceroy butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Vervain (Verbena spp.)